Tom Reynolds is not running for his House seat this election which has stirred up a whole mess of activity. The Rs couldn't get anyone to run and they tried everyone! But now they appear to have their candidate.

David Bellavia leaves National Heroes Tour to focus on run for Congress

Retired Army Staff Sergeant David Bellavia announced that he will suspend his participation with the Vets for Freedom's National Heroes Tour in order to focus on his planned run for Congress in New York 's 26th District as a conservative Republican.

The 26th congressional seat is currently held by Rep. Tom Reynolds (R), who announced earlier this month that he will not be seeking re-election.

Mr. Bellavia is the recipient of both the Silver and Bronze Stars, and the Conspicuous Service Cross, New York State 's highest award for combat valor. He also has been nominated for The Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions in a fierce, urban, hand-to-hand fight in the battle of Fallujah in November 2004. Mr. Bellavia is the author of House to House: An Epic Memoir of War, which recounts his experiences on the ground in Iraq.

"The National Heroes Tour has been enormously rewarding," Mr. Bellavia said, "but it is necessary to take a sabbatical from it now to spend time with Republican Party officials and community leaders here at home. I am hopeful that my next service to the country will be as a congressman from the State of New York. Working towards that end will take every ounce of my strength, energy and focus during the next seven months."

Mr. Bellavia, who was born in Buffalo and raised in Waterport in Orleans County, lives in Batavia, NY with his wife and two sons. There he has founded a local Veteran's Coordination Center that focuses on the early treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and other veteran-related issues and outreach programs. Bellavia is a co-founder of the non-partisan, non-profit Vets for Freedom organization.

I posted the entire article because local media appear to either take down stories or make you pay for them after a few days.

Whenever I read a story about a Vet who runs as a Repug I wonder why. The current batch of Repugs in Congress and the war criminals in the Executive branch have gone out of their way to deny Vets benefits. For example, John "100 years" McSame, talks about supporting the troops, and in the last five years voted against improved Vet benefits a minimum of 30 times. Rhetoric isn't going to help these guys. Sure reminds me of the Reagan Democrats who voted against their own self interests.

_________________“I'm not a member of any organized party. I'm a Democrat.”-Will Rogers

Vets for Freedom appears to be a neocon group. Pretty much cowboys, like Bush except they actually do shoot people. Doesn't turn me on, but Bellavia is the darling of the area.

At least he does appear to want better care for vets, the vets that agree with him that is. He doesn't have much use for the Winter Soldiers.

His father writes a column in the local newspaper and has said many times that some in the military are cowards. I can't stand his column so don't read it enough to know if the father was ever in the military himself. He does consider himself to be the pinnacle of knowledge about what military people feel like.

We have a Democratic vet that wants to run for the seat too, but first he has to beat out another R who changed his affiliation to D so he could run and that guy has three million of his own money he is ready to spend to win the seat. Need I say, his list of priorities is all R all the time.

So far there will be a three way democratic primary with Davis, buffalo attorney Alice Kryzan, and Iraq War vet Jon Powers.

Powers released a statement today saying, “Money can buy you a lot, but the voters of western New York are not for sale. That is why I have earned the support of the democratic leaders and grassroots activists across the district."

Republican candidate David Bellavia is also a retired war vet.

Today he filed paperwork necessary to form a campaign committee and begin raising money.

If anyone had C-Span on today they saw a fine example of Tom Reynolds in action. What a clown! He was throwing a fit because Rs couldn't have their way.

And we will be paying him for the rest of his life for this? Talk about fleecing the taxpayers!

Anyway, the other day Sam Sedar played the tape of this Bellavia jerk making his racist remark about Barak Obama. It was ing. Some fool Repug called up and tried to claim the bigot was talking about sports, I think. His defense of Bellavia didn't make any sense. These racist right-wingers really think they are smooth. They get all pumped up by the bigotted diatribes of their racist leaders, then try to tell the rest of us that we didn't really hear what we just heard.

Everyone judge for yourself. Here is Bellavia introducing John McCain:

Bellavia wrote:

"Fortunately, I have the privilege, the distinct privilege today, of introducing a true American hero who defies political norms in Washington," Bellavia said. "Sen. John McCain has spent a lifetime in service to our nation. His example of unwavering courage is a model for every American. Rest assured that men like Senator McCain will be the goal and the men that my two young boys will emulate and admire. You can have your Tiger Woods, we've got Senator McCain."Link

The rural-suburban district between Buffalo and Rochester is one of the state’s most conservative. But Corwin saw her early lead dissolve after coming out in favor of a Republican budget plan that would cut billions from Medicare, the government health plan for seniors.

And Bellavia did his best to get the R or Conservative line again.

Pinch me, I can't believe the 26th actually elected a Democrat--even a Blue Dog Dem.

The rural-suburban district between Buffalo and Rochester is one of the state’s most conservative. But Corwin saw her early lead dissolve after coming out in favor of a Republican budget plan that would cut billions from Medicare, the government health plan for seniors.

And Bellavia did his best to get the R or Conservative line again.

Pinch me, I can't believe the 26th actually elected a Democrat--even a Blue Dog Dem.

Yes, this is wonderful news indeed!!

Whether it's stripping Medicare, or stripping to their underwear, this is probably the most transparency you'll see from a filthy right winger, for decades to come.

I'm so glad the Democrat beat that Repub shill...but if she's blue dog, she'll probably toe the conservative line like my rep does..the football for brains Heath Shuler...bluest dog in the whole House.

At wiki, ETL...someone probably deliberately changed the Protestant to "prostitute."

_________________

"Behind every great fortune lies a great crime."Honore de Balzac

"Democrats work to help people who need help. That other party, they work for people who don't need help. That's all there is to it."~Harry S. Truman

Joined: Thu Dec 22, 2005 7:53 pmPosts: 690Location: Between East and West

I have the feeling most of these "sucking Paul Ryan ass" Republican congressmen and congresswomen should be a bit worried come 2012 election. This gives a signal to those that "brown-nosed" Ryan's budget plan, the voters don't want any changes to Medicare or Social Security programs.

_________________If you think you are beaten, your are. If you think you dare not, you won't. If you like to win, but you think you can't, it is most certain you won't.